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Over 80 Great Danes Rescued from 'Abhorrent' Suspected Puppy Mill

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By Aly Semigran June 20, 2017 at 03:13PM

It was a scene that Dean Rondeau, the chief of the Wolfeboro Police Department in New Hampshire, could only describe as the worst case of animal cruelty and neglect that he'd seen in his career. "Words cannot describe the absolute abhorrent conditions these animals were living in," Rondeau said.

On June 16, Rondeau and his police department, along with the help of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), rescued 84 Great Danes who were living in complete squalor in a suspected puppy mill operating out of a home.

According to a release from The Humane Society, responders were on the scene to follow up on animal neglect allegations. On the property, they found "84 Great Danes living in squalid conditions with limited access to food or water. The dogs were sliding on their own feces while walking, and several had eyelids so swollen their eyes were red. The smell of ammonia, feces and raw chicken overwhelmed rescuers."

Lindsay Hamrick, New Hampshire state director for The HSUS, said, "It’s astonishing that such cruelty can occur and I’m so relieved that these animals are now safe and in the hands of people who will provide proper care for them. We anticipate caring for them for several months.”

The HSUS safely transported the animals to a temporary emergency animal shelter at an undisclosed location, where they will receive all the proper medical care they need.

The organization currently has a video documenting the harrowing rescue efforts, as well as a donation page for those who want to help the 84 rescued dogs.